Nintendo will slash price of 2DS to $99 on August 30

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If you’ve been waiting to jump on the 3DS handheld bandwagon, August 30 is the day to watch. Nintendo has stated that it will cut the price of its budget 3DS gaming platform, the so-called 2DS, to just $ 100. Retailers have offered the device for this price before, but only as part of temporary promotions. The price cut, from an original $ 130, is significant, especially since the handheld will still come bundled with Mario Kart 7.

The 2DS is the two-year-old counterpart to Nintendo’s 3DS and is fully compatible with games that do not require the confusingly named “New 3DS.” The only changes are to the form factor and the audio (the 2DS has a single mono speaker as compared to the stereo speakers on the 3DS). Reviews of the slate design have been mixed; Nintendo claims to have designed the handheld for children under 7, who are advised not to play 3D games, and how well it fits the hand is a matter of some debate.

The Nintendo 2DS and its slate form factor

If you’re tempted to pick up a 2DS at the new, lower price be aware that it’s not completely forwards compatible with the current 3DS library. Last year, Nintendo launched two refreshed 3DSs, the New Nintendo 3DS and the New Nintendo 3DS LL. Both include faster CPUs, more CPU cores, 256MB of RAM (up from 128MB), faster WiFi, and better battery life. Most games created since the console launched will run on any 3DS, but there are exceptions. With Nintendo’s NX console expected to debut at E3 for a launch later in 2016, it’s not clear if Nintendo will EOL the 3DS altogether in favor of its supposed hybrid console, or if the New 3DS design was intended to carry the handheld along for several more years.

Whether or not it makes sense to replace the 3DS with anything is undoubtedly a topic of discussion at Nintendo HQ. After years of refusing to consider releasing mobile titles, the Japanese game company has begun building games in partnership with DeNA. The original 3DS had a rocky initial start, but price cuts and better games eventually helped the platform find its legs. Currently, VGChartz reports that the 3DS has sold over 50 million consoles across all its versions. That’s still a fraction of Nintendo DS sales, but it’s a solid figure for a platform that once struggled to move even 100,000 units a month.

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